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Atrial Fibrillation (AF)
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common cardiac arrhythmia of nearly epidemic proportions, affecting an estimated 2.3 million adults in the United States. This number is expected to double in the next 30 years. Approximately 4% of persons older than 60 years and 9% of persons older than 80 years suffer from AF; an estimated 50% of all AF patients are older than 75 years, which is the fastest growing segment of the population. AF is associated with substantial health consequences and resource utilization, including a 4-5 fold increase in the risk of stroke in AF patients. AF is responsible for about 16% of all ischemic (and frequently disabling) strokes in the elderly.
Through the years we have developed an expertise in managing large numbers of outpatients with AF, utilizing a model of minimal interventions and hospitalizations. In September 2001 we started our patients’ AF database aimed to assess the impact of our approach on patients’ outcomes and quality of life. Our scientific findings on the association between AF in stable outpatients and elevated BNP levels resulted in a presentation at a major conference and were published in a peer reviewed journal.
Additional Lown AF research has resulted in peer reviewed presentations and were based on the CAD study database. We generated the first report on the correlation between statin therapy and reduced risk of developing AF in CAD patients. In the same database we also identified an association between psychometric variables and the risk of AF development in outpatients with CAD.
Currently we have two AF projects being actively pursued: Quality of life of outpatients with AF as compared to outpatients without AF; and the Correlation between quality of life and ventricular rate control in outpatients with AF.
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